Hicks on Sticks in France at Cannes

So our documentary has reached Cannes. This is a picture of our producer rep holding up our mini poster. Now lets keep our fingers crossed for some distribution interest!

synopsis-In 1999, skateboard company owner, Ian Comishin embarks on a journey into the unknown. Bringing professional skateboarding and music to Canadian towns is no small endeavor. With financial sponsorship dropping out at the last minute and Ian's willingness to dive into company debt, the story unfolds, propelling him to an end he never anticipated.

99 minute documentary

3 Months and Exploring!

This has been a truly amazing time with Jonas. Jordan and I watched this morning as he reached out and tried to maneuver an elephant trunk into his mouth.

He had such patience - he would try to get it into his mouth and then it would flop away and he would give a little shout/cry and do it again and again until he got better. Later on I noticed him reaching for his books when I changed him. This may not sound like such a big deal when Jonas reads this someday - but it really is. It's the beginning of your exploration of life! It's your curiosity being born and now you are finally able to do something about it.

Mothers Day

My very first Mothers Day! I must admit I was totally exhausted. Jonas is going through a little growth spurt at the moment - well, the past 48 hours. Abit fussy, but some really big changes! He always wants to be standing now - we hold him up alot on our laps. He also likes his exersaucer - we have him in there for about 10 minutes before he is tired.

Grandpa Jerry came over to watch over Jonas so that Jordan and I could have breakfast together at the HBI for the Mothers Day brunch. Then I came home and napped with Jonas for a couple of hours. Grandma Janet and Case came over and we had some wine and hung out in the sun... Everyone held and played with Jonas so I had a little bit of a break - it was really nice! Then in the evening, Jerry came over to take Jonas for a walk around the forest (Jonas still loves staring up at the trees!) I was tired, but I had a really nice and relaxing day.

Jordan has taken the week off work to do some finnishing carpentry to our house before we move out for the vacation rentors. I have a ton of work to do as well; so far I have gotten alot more done than I thought I would with Jonas around. He will sleep in his stroller while I am working on the gardens...no problems!

Dad and Jonas, May 13

The Cannes film market starts in a couple days and already we have had some distribution interest from France and all french speaking parts of Europe. So, we have our fingers crossed and are hoping for some serious interest in our documentary.

wish us luck!

A Big Boy!

Dear Jonas,

You had your first check up with our family doctor last Sat and you weighed in at 12lbs5oz and you are 25 INCHES long! You are extremely healthy; you didn't even catch my cold. I am now better and I am happy that you weren't too demanding on the days I stayed in bed - we just hung out, ate and slept.
Now we are back to normal. Today we went to the baby group at the community centre and you were awake and watching all the other little ones play: Carter, Sophia and???. After that we all worked in the garden for a few hours - you kept Dad and I entertained with your chatter and then you fell asleep. You also grabbed your rattle today and shook it and watched it and tried to chew on it - this was a first! You might have been extra excited since you saw your Dad hit a home run at his ball game earlier. Maybe you got inspired to hold that rattle...but it was probably an accident.... You are also napping in your crib and when you don't like it you will nap in your swing. You still sleep with us at night and you are no longer as noisy so the cosleeping is much smoother now. You still feed every 2-3 hours. Your dad has also discovered that you are always happier outside. Sometimes when you are fussy, he will take you outside and you immediately settle down. We are so happy to have you in our lives!

Jonas is 10 Weeks!

The transition into Mumhood has been smooth. Well, mostly. I am happy and fullfilled and I think that all my motherly instincts have surfaced one way or another. My only obstacle is sometimes wrapping my mind around the whole Mumhood thing. What I mean is that things that I now really care about, on a day to day basis include such seemingly ridiculous things such as the color of baby poo, where to have baby sleep for naps...

Saturday was International Midwife day, so we went to our midwife's centre for some celebrating. It was nice to chat with our midwives once again and also meet some other new moms. At one point there was a row of us sitting in lawn chairs, nursing the little ones. I am not sure if it was because I was still alittle out of it from being sick, but it felt like my brain was in a foggy mush state. Jordan said I repeated myself a couple of times in conversation. I felt abit ditzy! Have I turned into a mum ditz? I hope not. Maybe everyone felt the same, maybe not. Maybe this is normal and it will pass.

On the weekend we set up a crib for Jonas so that he has a consistent place for napping. I am not sure how this will work. He always sleeps with us and will continue to do so. For naps, we have just been putting him on his matt, in his swing, in a sling etc... I figure its time for him to have a designated nap place. So far its only worked for about 30 minutes and then he wakes up. Today I tried to put him in and he was fine for abit and then he fussed and cried. I would take him out and console him, settle him and then put him back. We did that 4 or 5 times and it never worked. I ended up putting him in his swing and he passed out. I wonder if it matters for him to have different napping places? Anyone out there with some feedback? Experiences?

Green Poop?

It's good to be back on our little island. Everything is so green and lush - our gradens are calling out to me. First I need to get better. I have been stuck in bed for the past two days; yesterday I had to drag myself over to CR to deposit $$ for my brother so that we could print out more press kits and send our doc to Venezuala, Paris, Greece, USA and funny enough - Canada! Isn't it funny that in this stage of the game we need to have an American representing our film in order for a Canadian company to take notice?? GO FIGURE.

So I am in bed, coughing, achy and downing some herbal Chinese medicine Jordan picked up for me. Seems to be working. I don't know how I can avoid passing my germs onto Jonas. He has had a few coughs and I have plunged his nose with a syringe a few times, but he seems fine. It's hard to tell with a little 9 week old baby. He seems to be sleeping more and nursing more since I have been sick. Maybe he is fighting it.

Ok, so some mum poo talk. For about 10 days Jonas had really green poop. Usually he had those perfect yellow seedy poops that nursed babies produce. About two weeks ago they started turning green and then really green. I had thought for a split second it was those green smoothies I have been drinking everyday - no not the processed 'greens' you buy at the health food store, but the real ones with pure green vegies pureed in the blender (I also eat the other 'greens' as well, just not as often - they are ridiculously expensive and I am not sure if they are actually processed, but they are manufactured, aren't they?) Anyway, I knew it wasn't my intake of greens, come on now! I knew it had something to do with foremilk and lactase and too much of it. I looked around the net and finally got the information I was looking for on the La Leche League website. While researching - something I prefer to do before running to my doctor for answers - I realised that I was producing too much milk which had probably been caused by my breastfeeding practice. It's funny, because I thought about how breastfeeding is a natural thing and yet I had to get info about it on the net and then I thought that probably back in the day there was some wise woman elder/midwife who had had info passed down from ancestors who could probably answer any and all questions I needed answers for.

My usual feeding practice was to feed for two hours on one breast, then switch and feed for two hours on the second. I had ample milk and I knew this because Jonas would sometimes choke and sputter abit at the beginning and he would also be done his feed in about 3-5 minutes. He would also spit up alot and sometimes be fussy in the mornings with serious gas!!! And then the green poops came and didn't go away... SOOoooOO I changed my feedings to 6 hours one side, 6 hours the other side. This makes it so that Jonas gets his foremilk, but also ensures that he gets the fatty rich hinde milk. If baby gets too much of the initial foremilk and not enough hinde milk they often become gassy, fussy and produce green poo. After a week of this feeding pattern, Jonas doesn't spit up nearly as often, less gassy/farty, feeds for a casual and less intense 20 minutes and yes, his poo is now yellow. Yay Mummyhood!

More Travels

Jonas and I just returned from a 2 week trip to the Kootenays. We flew via WestJet from Comox to Calgary to Kelowna, where my parents and sister greeted us in the airport and then drove us to Rossland. A big trip, but travel with Jonas is easy and he was totally fine on the plane.

Cousin Livia (5) was totally fascinated with Jonas and always wanted to hold him. Cousin Corbin (3) was very gentle and loved giving lots of kisses

We stayed at my parents place and spent our time visiting and enjoying the beautiful mountains and melting snow. I got to go on some nice walks, go swimming and work out while my family took turns bonding with the little guy.


Grandma spent alot of time playing and holding Jonas. Cousin Cameron (8) was also very gentle and was always wanting to feed Jonas a bottle of my milk; he even asked to help 'pump' the milk.

Jonas really started smiling and 'participating' in conversation during our visit. He also noticed and got into his little yellow lion which I hung from the top bunkbed for him to stare at and enjoy.


Livia couldn't get enough of holding Jonas




Grandpa and Jonas shared some nap time!



Ashleigh (my sister) and her three kids with Jonas

My brother, Soren, drove me back to the Okanagan where we visited my grandma (dads mom) and then went on to fly home.


Jonas and Mum and his Greatgrandma Johnstone


Uncle Soren

Soren and I ended up doing some work while I was visiting. We found a producer rep from the USA to represent our doc film at the Cannes market - more on that later. Right now we are settling back in and I am getting over a bad cold - hoping Jonas doesn't get it....